Page 29 of Veil of Shadows

CHAPTER 9

The ship’s bow sliced through the waves of the Adriastic Sea as we headed out to the open ocean. Churning sprays of seafoam burst across the bow of the ship, raining everyone nearby in a salty mist. The captain led the prince away from us, gesturing to the sails and mystical engravings carved into most of the ship’s surfaces, protection magic from the sounds of it, as he strutted about the deck.

From what I could hear, the captain had requested the prince accompany him on a tour now that we were underway, and honestly, I couldn’t fault the captain for bragging. The ship was clearly one of the newer vessels in the royal fleet. It cut through the water like a knife, and every surface of its deck and masts looked shiny and new.

Most of the House females trailed along behind the prince and captain, hanging onto every word that Jax said. Phillen and Lars followed too, but Trivan was nowhere to be seen. However, after doing another count of the retreating siltenites, I quickly realized two of the younger House females were also missing, and I figured those two hadn’t set their sights on the prince after all.

“How long will this journey take?” I asked Alec as Jax and the captain strolled across the deck, farther down the portside.

Alec leaned his elbows on the railing and shrugged. “Two days, give or take a few hours.”

I raised my eyebrows. “That’s fast.”

“It certainly is, Gorgeous.”

My eyebrows rose even higher. “Gorgeous?”

His lips curved in a teasing smile. “It’s a good nickname, don’t you think? Perhaps that’s what we should call you.”

“I thought”—I lowered my voice so nobody could hear—“Newole would be more fitting. It’s what Phillen called me once.” I thought back to when the burly guard had first said it in Fosterton. At that time, it’d confused me since I had no idea how their nicknames were formed or why he would call me that.

Alec sighed. “Ah, that would be par for the course, but that’s so absurdly boring.”

I laughed, then shivered when a gust of cold wind hit me. I wished I’d worn warmer clothing. Now that we were truly out at sea, the breeze was biting.

“You’re freezing.” Alec clucked his tongue. “How remiss of me.” He pulled his cloak off and draped it over my shoulders.

Warmth flooded me, and in the same beat, Jax’s head snapped in our direction from farther down the ship.

“My prince?” one of the young females called to Jax, her voice carrying on the wind. “Isn’t it fascinating that only twelve crew members are needed to run this entire ship? And to think their fairy with an air element is able to propel the ship if the breeze isn’t sufficing. It’s just incredible, don’t you think?” She continued gushing and placed a hand on his forearm.

Jax’s lips curved in a gracious smile. “Indeed, Lady Aerobelle.”

I cleared my throat and pulled Alec’s cloak tighter around me. “Does, uh, the prince like ship tours?”

Alec laughed lightly. “Doubtful. He’s only doing it to appease the captain. Captain Mezzerack loves the attention the prince always gives him, and he’ll bend over backward for our heir. It can be quite amusing to watch. Of course, obedience is required of a captain on a royal ship when anyone in the royal family demands it, but Captain Mezzerack moves even faster to fulfill the prince’s wishes. Faster even than for the king.”

Jax and the captain moved toward the stern, and the females eagerly followed. I tried not to watch and instead pulled the cloak tighter to fend off the salty sprays propelling us away from the shore. Already, the coast was barely visible.

In the back of the ship, Jax continued to stroll easily behind the captain, his legs dipping and swaying to accommodate the rolling vessel. The females moved just as easily, and I was reminded of how physically agile shifters were.

“Are most of the royal Houses in Stonewild stag shifters?” I asked Alec.

“Most, but not all.” He waved toward the female Jax had spoken with earlier, the one he called Aerobelle. “Lady Aerobelle of House Dallinger is a wolf shifter, as are the rest in her House. Another of the ten Houses are colantha shifters, and one is a cave bear, and then there’s the dragon House, but the rest are all stags.” Straightening, he brushed a lock of windswept hair from my face. “You truly are beautiful, do you know that, Gorgeous? Out here, with the sun on your face, your beauty is captivating. I can’t remember the last time a female enthralled me quite like you have.”

I started at his abrupt change of subject but just shrugged. “It’s my lorafin magic, my lordling. That’s what’s captivated you. Nothing more. The way you’re reacting to me is why my guardian was able to sell me for such a high price.”

He waggled his eyebrows. “You would be worth every rulib.”

I sighed but couldn’t help a light laugh. “And once again, you’re a shameless flirt. You could kill a fairy with how charming you are.”

His grin returned. “Some consider it my greatest attribute.”

“Is that so? I have a feeling all of the females with broken hearts that you’ve left in your wake wouldn’t agree.”

“Who said their hearts are broken? They may be very intact.”

I snorted in amusement. “Which would be even worse as that implies you’ve given them false hope and are still leading them on.”

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